Is it true that Pit Bulls can just "snap"?

True_Pits... for the record...I do know that for a fact...pound for pound and in the "percentages" game APBT's pull more per their weight than any other breed.... HOWEVER... a mastiff does hold the record for most weight pulled.

I also want to state that my examples were simply to show that it is a moot point about what breed is stronger etc... MOOT.

Kim... I hadn't realized you were talking about holding rather than bite and release...either way the APBT may not have the strongest but I do agree they're more likely to "hold" than many other breeds (Dogo ARgentino is the same way). My male APBT knew where he wanted to get his bite in and just didn't get a chance... I think during the entier two second altercation the BB was on the defensive...no doubt really...

The point is that the breed isn't the strongest...they may be some of the most determined out of other breeds...but blanket statements like that can't really be proven and do in some cases end up hurting the breed more by making them look like something they are not...

Mastiff's aren't really fighters in most cases...nothing like the APBT...but if they decided to do damage...ANY dog can do damage...ANY breed...

Also...the tearing thing... From what I understand (haven't seen anything to base anything on) APBT's hold and shake right??? So tearing could be likely...right??? Also...??? Dull teeth???? None of my APBT's have dulled teeth, THAT might be a "game" thing...but the APBT's teeth are just as sharp as the BB's teeth... My girls scrapped once (two apbt's) and puncture wounds there were...a few... I don't think you can say definitavely what kinds of wounds to expect from what kinds of dogs... Bully's as opposed to shepherds maybe (shepherds HOLD not to damage but to hold etc....) Even then...can't really say what breed will cause what kind of damage...

any dog can snap out of the blue. it isnt just reserved for pit bulls. im not sure what breed 'snaps' more often though. anyone got actual facts/statistics?

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That's absolutely 100% false. NO dog, regardless of breed, ever "just snaps." Dogs always have a reason for their behavior. Some dogs may give more warning than others and most certainly, some people are more aware of the signs of aggression than others. Unfortunately, even many devoted dog lovers fail to educate themselves on dog behavior, which in some cases can yield disastrous results for everyone.

Did you see the news anchor that got bitten recently by the Dogo Argentino while doing a news story on the dog? Some people think that dog "just snapped," but that couldn't be further from the truth. The dog just went through a traumatic experience and was then brought into a crowded TV studio and surrounded by strangers, loud noises, etc. Then the news anchor patted the dog on the top of his head and leaned in toward his face - two things you should NEVER do with a strange dog as both may be perceived as signs of aggression that need to be defended against. While it's certainly a tragedy that she was bitten, it was entirely her own fault.

Shady_Babyg*rl said:

Pit bulls fight because they were selectively bred for it, for many, many generations. Just like Labs instinctively fetch (even though you don't teach them to do it), or Greyhounds and huskies run, etc. Those dogs do not do what they do because they want to please you--they do it because their wiring tells them it is the right thing to do. No matter how much you train, socialize, etc., there is a good possibility that at some point, your dog is going to decide that it doesn't particularly like other dogs. If you have a greyhound, there is a good possibility that at some point, if your gate is left open, the dog will bolt out and run like the wind, totally ignoring your pleas to come back. If you have a Beagle, it is most likely going to bark a lot and dig holes in your yard.

Dogs want, first and foremost, to please THEMSELVES. Pretty much the ONLY reason the dogs will do things that please US, is because either 1) they get something good when they do it (treat, petted, etc.). or 2) they know bad things will happen if they don't do it (correction, or withholding the good thing). People prefer to anthropomorphize everything dogs do, and consider them little furry people that live to please "mommy" and "daddy"--but in reality, they are animals, and do what makes THEM happy, above all. Most pit bulls think fighting is FUN. That is why they do it.

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First, while some dogs have little if any desire to please their masters, others have a very strong desire to please their masters. In my experience, this is far more common with female dogs and within certain breeds, though keep in mind that this is purely anecdotal "evidence." My point was simply that such dogs absolutely do exist.

No, Pitbulls don't think fighting is "fun." Not some Pitbulls, not any Pitbulls, not any other dogs. Yes, Pitbulls are genetically prone to dog aggression, but they fight because they are defending themselves against a perceived threat. Since it would be impossible for me to share with you what I have learned over the course of the 4 years it took me to acquire my Bachelors of Science in Animal Behavior, I hope you will make the choice to educate yourself on your own.

Pitbulls can be unpredictable as my sister found out walking to the shop with my mum when a pitbull off its leash ran away from its owner and bit my sister on her back this was an unprovoked attack so it was not defending itself or scared in anyway, This dog turned out to be a people and dog agressive dog and should never have been walked off a leash or unmuzzled.

So this whole dogs need a trigger to set them off is not true in most cases.
I have worked with alot of breeds and i will say that All dogs no matter what the breed can be snappy if they are not brought up trained and socialised properly.

Dog aggression is trained i have walked my dogs on a few occasions and had some dog for no reason launch itself at them again unprovoked.

I have known Chihuahua's attack you as soon as look at you this is for no reason other than you walked past them. I have always said they are a big dog in a small dogs body LOL.

My uncle has pits and they are the most loving and loyal dogs you could ever meet, They love being around children one of them used to lay with his head under the baby bouncer and rock it when the baby cried.